Something We Are Missing ...

This is something that popped into my head a little while ago and the more I think on it, the more I really wanted to make this post. There is a lot being written today about the prosperity gospel. This gospel, so called, teaches that God intended that His people be healthy, rich, and prosperous in every area of life. If you have enough faith of the right kind, God is obligated to provide you with good health, and material blessings beyond those enjoyed by the world around us.

And while the prosperity gospel, per se, focuses on material possessions and worldly wealth, others have focused on other areas. Though it is not part of the prosperity gospel itself, others have made the accumulation of political power, or influence over society as the goals of their Christianity.

Both types of people make Christianity the means to an end, the accumulation of success according to the standards of the world. Whether it is money, houses and mansions, cars, jewelry, political office, international acclaim, or the desire to be the power behind the power, God is seen as the means to achieve all that can be achieved on the earth. Indeed, many have come to believe that this was the mission of Jesus on the earth, to make His people famous, rich, and powerful. In fact, according to some, if you do not have these things, it is either because you lack faith or because God has cursed you somehow.

But all this thinking falls short of the biblical picture of what we gain as Christians. "A man found a treasure in a field, and sold all that he had and bought the field to possess the treasure." "A man found a pearl of great price, and he gave up everything he had to purchase the pearl for himself." (These are my paraphrases of our Beloved Lord's words). But what is this treasure? Wealth? Political power? A million dollar home? No, the treasure was Jesus Himself. "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine." Friends, we have Christ. Our treasure is Jesus Christ himself.

We have too many Christians in public places who have their eyes on worldly things. We need to get heavenly minded again. I have heard the old saying about the Christian who was "so heavenly minded he was of no earthly good." I really don't think we need to worry about that problem much in today's Church. We have turned it so that we are so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good. Why? We forgot that it is all about Jesus Christ. He paid for our sins. He lived in perfect obedience to the Law of God so that we could be counted righteous in Him.

Friends, we are Christians, followers of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Our treasure is Jesus. Until we remember that again, we will always be lured away by lesser pleasures and worldly baubles. God gives us a banquet in Christ and we settle for pig-slop from the world. God gives us the treasure houses of heaven (which is Christ Himself) and we settle for colored beads from the world.

Beloved, don't sell your birthright for a bowl of pottage. Possess Christ as your greatest, highest, indeed, your only treasure. Above all things, possess Christ!